Celebrate spring and cycling at one of these two-wheeled events—including one sanctioned by the church—happening around NYC and just beyond.
Bike in a Sculpture Garden | stormking.org
When: Reopens April 2
Where: Storm King Art Center
Why: This is a cyclist’s heaven: rolling hills, giant art installations, floating boats, fields of yellow flowers, and plenty of romantic places to picnic throughout the 500-acre outdoor museum. Trust us, it’s the coolest way to celebrate spring on two wheels.
Cost: Coach USA offers a day tour package leaving from Port Authority with direct drop-off at the park. Roundtrip bus transportation and museum admission for adults—$46.00, children ages five to eleven—$23. On-site bike rentals are $10 per hour on the weekends with a two-hour minimum.
Blessing of the Bike | theblessingofthebikes.com
When: May 3, 9am
Where: Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
Why: If you plan on biking a lot more, you don’t want to miss this.
Cost: Free
Bike Expo New York | bikenewyork.org
When: May 2 and 3
Where: Pier 36, Basketball City
Why: Two days of jolly good bike fun with the likes of Cannondale, Raleigh, Kent, Viva, Osprey, REI, TImbuk2, Specialized, EMS, and Bianchi. Plus, workshops, tastings, seminars, giveaways, and more.
Cost: Free
The Benefits of Biking
• You burn 500 calories in an hour biking • Biking one mile is a $.42 economic gain to society, driving one mile is a $.20 loss • You are a happier person • Driving is detrimental to your health, as shown in this infographic |
6th Annual Spring Brooklyn Bike Jumble | nybikejumble.com
When: May 10 and June 1
Where: Old Stone House, Washington Park, Park Slope
Why: You want a bike at an affordable price. This bike flea tends to have a quality, well-priced selection of new and used bikes. Meet fellow riders while you browse bikes and accessories.
Cost: Free to attend
Ride to Montauk | ridetomontauk.com
When: May 31
Where: Start in Manhattan or Long Island, the routes range from 30-150 miles.
Why: If you miss a chance to ride in the 5 Boro Bike Tour and Gran Fondo is out of your league, the Ride to Montauk is the next best thing around. Join riders of all ages and levels as you cruise along flat roads, flanked by cows, mansions, windmills, farms, and the ocean. End the day with a rewarding, sumptuous feast, though you may just want to head straight for the Blue Point beer and Balthazar treats.
Cost: $150
Outdoor FEST Rockaway Bike Tour | rwalliance.org
When: Sunday, June 1, 2014, 11am – 2pm
Where: Firehouse 59 at Beach 59th Street & Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway, New York
Why: You love meeting fellow outdoorsy people, have never explored Fort Tilden, Floyd Bennet Field, or the Rockaway Peninsula, or hung out with a National Park Ranger. If you don’t have a bike, one will be provided for you.
Cost: Free
Westchester Cycle Club Bike Camp | westchestercycleclub.org
When: Saturday, May 10
Where: Hillside Church, 448 Bedford Rd, Armonk, NY
Why: WCC Vice President Bob Hermann puts it best: “Want to learn to ride a road bike? Ride better and with confidence? Ride faster? Ride in groups? Ride along with cars? Ride over those hills?” This is a wonderful program for new cyclists and more experienced riders who need a refresher and a fun city break at beautiful Mariandale Retreat in the Hudson Valley (also a convenient distance from the North White Plains train station). Here’s some more info about last year’s camp.
Cost: $45 per person
Note: If you don’t feel safe biking in the city, take one of these free Biking Commuting 101 workshops with Bike New York. Want to mingle with other cyclists? Read this guide to the Best Bike-Friendly Cafes in NYC
Photo: Holly Ladd
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram